Leader by Power
by RadiantAura
Summary: Ark 2 of the Leader series. What is this new power that Naruto has come to possess? It's as if it reacts to the sun, but what could it be? Naruto and his teammates, Shino and Hinata, must battle through the trials of being rogue ninja. Oh the friends they'll meet.
1. Run

**Hello all readers! I am back and ready to start ark 2. Hope you all enjoyed the break because now it's time to get into the really depressing stuff. Yay.**

**Ezuna Plains**

The three of them were on the move. They had barely slept in three days, but they had to keep moving. Naruto was panting hard. "Shino," Hinata stopped Naruto as she spoke, "we have to rest. Naruto hasn't completely healed yet." Shino nodded and they walked over to a few trees to get under the shade.

"It's strange." Shino said. "Usually Naruto would have been healed by the Ninetails by now, even while moving." Hinata nodded. "Yea, maybe the infusion of chakra Itachi gave Naruto messed with the Ninetails's connection." No one said anything for awhile and Naruto's breathing started to slow.

"Thanks for staying with me guys." Naruto was able to mumble. "This pain is killing me." Naruto chuckled a little but coughed up blood. "This isn't good." Shino said seriously. "If we don't get him medical treatment soon…" Hinata nodded and a tear came to her eye. "I know. How much farther until the next village?"

Shino took out a map and looked over it. "It looks like we should be close to a small village on the border near Wind Country. The only problem is that we would still be in range of the ANBU from the Hidden Leaf." Naruto frowned at hearing his village's name. He remembered what had happened. How he was forced to kill Itachi, his sensei. He clenched his fist and tried to stand.

"Naruto!" Hinata said with worry in her voice as he tried to stand. "It's alright." Naruto said through labored breaths. We have to make it to that village." Shino nodded in agreement. "Even if the ANBU catch up to us, it would be better if Naruto had some time to heal. We would be close enough to the border that it would be easy to cross over."

Hinata frowned as she helped Naruto to stand. "His eyes are back to normal." Shino said cautiously. "It should be relatively easy to go through the town without much trouble." They began to walk again, slowly. Naruto started to feel better, being in the sun, but he was still weak.

"Naruto, Shino, Hinata, stop for awhile." The three of them tensed up and instantly Shino's insects were swirling around them, ready to guard. "We just want to pass, we want no trouble." Shino said sternly. A shadow was cast over them and they all looked up to see a giant white bird. It circled them and then landed in front of them. A blond haired man hopped off of it.

His hair was covering half of his face and it was tied into a ponytail in the back. He also had some sort of mechanism over his eye. The man chuckled. "Relax, I'm not here to harm you. I just want to talk." Naruto looked up at him sharply. "That man, he's wearing the robe of the Akatsuki." Hinata and Shino both took notice and raised their guard.

"Smart boy, Naruto. I don't know what you have heard of the Akatsuki, but I assure you that we do not want to harm you." Naruto sniffed in disbelief. "No, you just want the Ninetails inside of me, right?" The man smiled. "Let me introduce myself. My name is Deidara. I was sent here simply to deliver a message to Naruto."

Sweat dropped down the side of Shino's forehead and Hinata was starting to feel the weight of Naruto on her shoulder. "Speak." Said Naruto with a weak but authoritative voice. Deidara grinned. "It appears that one of the ninja we were going to recruit into our organization has died. At your hands to be exact, Naruto." Naruto flinched.

"We know you are a capable ninja, and that is why we would like you to join the Akatsuki." Hinata and Shino flinched and Naruto looked up. Not believing what he just heard. "You don't have to answer now. I'm not as impatient as the man who was sent to recruit Itachi. But you should know that this offer does have a time limit."

Naruto stood up straight, taking his weight off of Hinata. "What's the catch?" Deidara grinned but Naruto could tell that he was up to something. "There is no catch. You want revenge on the Hidden Leaf for what they did to you and Itachi right? With the Akatsuki on your side, you will have no trouble destroying that village."

Naruto shook his head in refusal. "No, I don't want revenge on the village. Even if I did, I wouldn't team up with you." Deidara sighed. "And here I thought you were smarter than Itachi. You would have been a good replacement." Naruto's anger came to the surface instantly. "I could never replace Itachi! He was a great ninja!" His arms were trembling and Hinata was worried that he might start a fight.

Deidara frowned. "Like it or not you have proved your worth. We will be keeping an eye on you, Naruto." Deidara stopped suddenly and looked closely at Naruto. He noticed a blue shimmer in his eye. _*No, it can't be…*_ Deidara backed away slowly and jumped onto his giant bird. "I'll see you again soon."

After Deidara had left, the three of them continued to walk. Naruto felt like he had some energy in him, but not enough to move very fast. They came to a stop when the village was in sight. "You two stay here. I'm going to check out the village before we decide to bring in Naruto." Shino turned and left while Hinata sat Naruto down.

The two of them sat there for awhile and rested. Hinata was messing with her fingers and Naruto knew that something was bothering her. "Hinata, what's wrong?" Naruto sat up a little straighter even though his back was burning with pain. Hinata didn't say anything for awhile. She looked like she was trying to find the words.

"Naruto, we've been through a lot together. I-I don't know how to say this, but…" She trailed off, hoping her sentence would finish itself. "Hinata…" Naruto whispered. "I think that, for now, we shouldn't be together." It hit Naruto like a wall. He lost his breath and his body went numb. "Hinata, why do you think that?"

Hinata was holding back tears. He knew that she didn't want to do this. "It's just that, when we were escaping you pushed me out of the way so that I wouldn't be hit. But the kunai hit you instead. You could have died." She was starting to cry. "Naruto, I don't know what I would do if I lost you. It seems like you save me so much, but you put yourself in danger to do it. I don't want to be the reason you die."

Naruto was at a loss for words. He couldn't think of anything to say. "Hinata, I do that because I love you. I don't want anything bad to happen to you…" Naruto stopped. "But I'ts also because we are in this together. Please, just think about it some more before you make a decision." Hinata didn't say anything, but when Naruto leaned over to hug her, she wrapped her arms around him tight, and cried.

**Hidden Leaf Village**

"What's the status on Naruto?" Danzo asked a ninja kneeling before him. "My Lord, Naruto and his team seem to be heading for the border between Fire Country and Wind Country. With Naruto's injuries, they are moving fairly slowly." Danzo nodded. _*Limping away from a fight like a wounded dog. Typical shinobi.*_

"Very well. Send a team to capture him. We don't know if Sasuke is still with them or not so be prepared for anything." The ninja nodded and dissapeared. Danzo turned to look out of the window. He was in the Hokage's office. "Foolish Naruto. That stunt of yours attracted enough attention that removing Hiruzen was easy. He will either be exiled or executed. Either way, I have won." Danzo grinned as he watched the sun set.

**Izuna Plains**

About an hour had passed when Hinata saw Shino climbing up the hill. "It looks to be safe for now." He said as he popped his neck. Hinata nodded as Naruto stood up. "I feel better now. The sun…I think it's affecting me somehow." Shino nodded. "I've noticed that too. We will have to keep watch of those eyes Naruto. I'm not sure how rare whatever it is you have is, or if it has ever been done."

Naruto nodded and the three of them walked towards the village. It took them no time at all to reach it and they quickly found a small clinic to have Naruto checked. His wounds had healed a lot, but they still crippled his movements. The nurse told Shino and Hinata that he would have to rest for a few days.

Shino and Hinata walked together around the small village. "Hinata, why did you want to break up with Naruto?" Hinata flinched. "How did you…" She remembered that Shino's insects could communicate with him and that he must have left one with them while he checked out the village. "I'm sorry for eavesdropping, but it was also to keep you two safe."

Hinata nodded. "If your bug was there than you should know why." Shino smirked. "I know what you told him, what I want to know is why now? Why do this right after we escape? Why right after Naruto had to kill Itachi?" Hinata frowned. "I… Don't know." She felt selfish. Even though she wanted to break up to save Naruto, she realized that it would hurt him more than it would help.

"You could have used a better reason." Shino said bluntly. "Naruto protects you and me because it's instinct to him. He is a protector. Whether you are with him or not, he will protect you. You know that." Hinata nodded. "I know." Shino stopped and looked around. "What is it?" Hinata asked. Shino felt like something was wrong. "I have a bad feeling. Let's go check on Naruto, fast!"

**Iteku Village**

Naruto was roaming the streets. He completely ignored what the nurse told him about how he needed rest. _*My wounds will heal. Won't they Ninetails?* _Naruto smirked as he felt the ominous chakra move inside him. He still wasn't very comfortable trusting the demon, but he had no choice right now. He walked into a shop and was browsing their selection.

Apparently this village did not see many shinobi because everyone gauked at him. He was bandaged nearly head-to-toe and was walking with a slight limp. What Hinata had said to him was burning in his mind. He didn't want to lose her, but inside he knew that there was no changing her mind. _*That's Hinata, stubborn to the end.*_ He smiled and turned around to see Shino and Hinata standing there.

"Seriously Naruto, what are we going to do with you?" Shino said as he shook his head. Hinata smiled a little as did Naruto. "Sorry, I needed to stretch my legs." Naruto said as he stood up tall. Shino smirked. "Of course you did. What are you really doing in here?" Naruto shrugged. "I don't know." Shino sighed. "Well, when you figure it out we have to be leaving soon. I have a feeling that we don't have much time left."

Naruto nodded and Shino left them behind. Hinata awkwardly walked up next to Naruto as he was looking at some necklaces on display. "I-I didn't know you liked necklaces, Naruto." Naruto frowned. "Normally I don't." Hinata frowned too. "Oh…" The two of them stood awkwardly for what seemed like an eternity.

"Hinata, I know that no matter what I say, you won't change your mind." Naruto started. "But protecting you is in my nature." Hinata nodded. "I know…I'm sorry Naruto." Naruto smiled slightly. It was a fake smile, and Hinata could tell. "I'll leave you alone for a bit. Come find us when you're ready." Hinata turned to leave and Naruto frowned as soon as she could no longer see his face.

When she was gone, a man came up to Naruto. "You look troubled my friend. Is there anything I can get you?" Naruto shrugged. "I'm not sure. I don't even think I was looking for something. I just needed a place to be." The man nodded. "I know the feeling friend. I might have something for you." Naruto looked confused but the man had already gone to the back of the shop. When he returned, he had a small box in his hands.

"Please, for you." The man held out the box and Naruto opened it. Inside was a pendant with the symbol for infinity on it. Naruto took a closer look at it. "It is supposed to grant protection to those who need it most." The man stated. Naruto smiled slightly and put the necklace over his head. "Thank you, but who are you?" Naruto asked. The man just smiled. "I am someone who knows the strength of bonds. But you may call me Faram the Jeweler."

Naruto turned as he heard a loud crash. He quickly ran out the door to see what was going on. Shino had insects everywhere and was fighting another ninja, an ANBU from the Hidden Leaf. Naruto quickly ran over to Hinata who was dodging fireballs. "They are here already?" Naruto aksed as both he and Hinata dodged another massive fireball. The village was starting to burn and villagers were screaming in a panic.

"Shino, we have to get out of the village!" Naruto yelled as Shino knocked out the ANBU he was fighting. "I know! Let's pull back to the border!" The three of them jumped roof-to-roof until they were out of the village. The ANBU were still chasing them, completely ignoring the destruction they had left in the village. They ran through the trees until they came upon a river. "There, that's the border." Shino said as they approached.

"Wait!" Hinata said as they stopped just before the river. They slid to a stop and eyed the people in front of them. "Well well what is this?" The man said. He had a giant sword strapped to his back and a mask over his face. "Spies from the Hidden Leaf, eh?" The man had a malicious tone in his voice and the ninja next to him stood silently.

Shino waited cautiously. "We just need to pass over the river." He said. The man grabbed the handle of his sword. "And if I say no?" Just then the ANBU appeared behind the three of them. They were surrounded. "Oh, looks like the ANBU has buisiness with you." The man popped his neck. "Maybe you aren't so bad after all." The tension in the air was thick as the ANBU hesitated to move.

One of them spoke softly. "Hey, isn't that…but I thought he died?" The man just smiled. "I'm sorry, can you speak up, or do I have to kill you first?" The ANBU flinched and readied his guard. The man made the first move. After a few handsigns he set the field for battle. **"Hidden Mist Jutsu!"**

**That's all for now guys. Hope you enjoyed the first chapter. Sorry again it took so long but that's how it goes. I'll try to update more frequently so bere with me.**Hi


	2. The Hidden Sand

**Time for chapter two. Hope you all enjoy this one as some unexpected characters take the stage!**

**Border of the Land of Fire**

The area was suddenly covered with a thick mist. Hinata raised her guard and kept her Byakugan active. "We have to sneak past, Naruto is in no shape to fight." Shino said quietly. Naruto was angry that he was still pretty useless, but he agreed. "Got you." A voice from behind Naruto caused him to throw his kunai behind him. The kunai hit nothing at first, then Naruto heard a thud when it hit a tree.

The man appeared behind him again but Hinata was ready for it. She covered her hands in water. "**Engaging Strike!"** She quickly threw her hand forward and hit the man. His body turned into water and hit the ground. "We are at a disadvantage in this mist. His use of water clones will make this very difficult." Shino said as his insects swarmed outwards.

Naruto's face grew serious as he grabbed Serra off of his back. Hinata saw him start to pour chakra into his blade. "Naruto, you shouldn't put too much strain on yourself." He ignored her for a moment while his chakra gathered. "It's risky I know, but you guys can cover me right?" Naruto smirked as Serra turned bright green. Another ninja appeared behind him, this time an ANBU. Hinata activated her Byakugan and was quickly at his side.

Naruto poured a little more chakra into his blade and he started to feel faint. "Here goes nothing." Naruto said as he brought his sword up. He swung it horizontally, releasing the wind and sending a surge of energy through the mist, dissipating it. When they could see clearly again, Naruto noticed right away that they were surrounded by water clones. "He…already beat the ANBU." Shino said as he kept his guard up. "Who are you?" Hinata asked the man.

He snickered and held his giant sword over his shoulder. "My name is Zabuza. I am one of the seven swordsman of the Hidden Mist. This is Haku." The three of them looked shocked. "But the reports said you were dead." Hinata started. "Kakashi's team ran into you when they were escorting the bridge builder." Zabuza scoffed at them. "Please, Kakashi was the only real threat on that team. The rest of them were easily fooled. They kept saying that they were missing a teammate. Sasuke I believe."

Naruto kept a straight face. _*Sasuke must have been training somewhere else.*_ He shuffled nervously. Zabuza, one of the seven swordsman, was known for ruthlessly killing thousands of ninja. He was known as the Beast. "What do you want with us?" Naruto asked. Zabuza popped his neck as he tilted his head side-to-side. "I'm not sure yet. Why were the ANBU of the Hidden Leaf chasing you?"

"It's a long story." Shino said. "Then make it short or I'll gut you." Zabuza replied. Naruto sighed. "The leader of the ANBU Black Ops, Danzo, captured my sensei, Itachi Uchiha. The three of us broke in to get him back, but things didn't go as planned…" Naruto frowned. "So, you managed to escape the Hidden Leaf, eh?" Zabuza smirked. "Not just any shinobi can do that." He paused to think. "Tell you what, I'll let you pass today. But next time we cross paths, I'll want to fight."

Naruto nodded and Zabuza and Haku vanished. Hinata breathed a sigh of relief. "What now, Naruto?" Naruto sighed. "We head towards the Hidden Sand village. It's not the safest place, but it will give us some time before more ANBU find us." Shino nodded in agreement and they headed out. Once they were gone, an ANBU ninja appeared to examine the aftermath of the battle. "Lord Danzo will not be pleased." He muttered. Tow other ANBU appeared next to him. "Let's collect the bodies and head back."

**Hidden Sand Village**

A man was standing on top of the Kazekage Mansion. He wore black eye shadow and had a giant gourd on his back. "Gaara." A girl with a large fan on her back walked up behind him. "You sense it too don't you?" The girl nodded and said, "Something is coming. We should keep our guard up." Gaara nodded. "I agree, leave me be for now, Temari." She nodded and left.

Gaara stared out into the distance. The Chunnin Exams had changed him. "Naruto…" He said to himself. "Where are you now? You were able to stop my transformation with just one jutsu." He paused as the wind blew up sand. He brought it to rest in his hand.

Naruto, Shino, and Hinata finally arrived at the border of the Hidden Sand Village. Shino stopped and so did the others. "We should probably disguise ourselves. The Hidden Leaf ANBU could be waiting here for us." Naruto and Hinata nodded. They all put on brown full-body cloaks and started walking towards the village.

They were able to get past the guards fairly easily. "We have to find a hospital for Naruto. He needs to rest a little more before he can fight at his best." Shino smirked as Naruto glared at him. He was exhausted. Even though he had barely used any chakra in two days, he still felt drained. Something was different. The Nine-tails chakra wasn't healing him like it used to.

They arrived at the hospital and Naruto was quickly admitted. Hinata stayed behind while Shino scouted around. "How are you feeling?" Hinata asked. Naruto smiled and stretched a little. "Better. I just don't get why it's taking so long for me to heal." Hinata frowned. "Whatever Itachi did to you must have disrupted your chakra balance. Do you mind if I take a look?" Naruto blushed and shook his head. **"Byakugan."** Hinata scanned his body for any signs of disturbance. "Naruto, your chakra is behaving strangely around your eyes. It's like they are feeding off of it."

She shivered and her eyes returned to normal. "I wonder what Itachi-sensei did. He said he didn't know how it would effect me." Hinata shrugged. "It looks like we just have to wait and see what happens when your chakra is full." Naruto nodded and he heard the nurses talking to someone outside. The door to his room opened. Both of them looked at the door expecting to see Shino.

"I heard that some visitors were here and thought I should see them for myself." They were both shocked to see Gaara walk in. He had no smile but his eyes were not as cold as they were when Naruto last saw him. "Gaara. What are you doing here?" He stared at them. "I should ask you the same thing. This is my home village, not yours."

Naruto frowned. "There was an incident. We had to escape." Gaara nodded. "I see. Then you should know that the Hidden Sand is not a very safe place for you." Hinata immediately put her guard up and activated her Byakugan. Gaara smirked slightly and waved his hand. "Relax, I have no intention of fighting you." Naruto touched Hinata's arm and her eyes went back to normal.

"The Hidden Sand and Hidden Leaf are on the verge of forming an alliance, so you should be safe until then. I do not need to know what you did, but I would like to ask you a question, Naruto." Naruto looked up at him. "Me? What do you need to know?" Gaara sighed. "How did you stop my transformation during the Chuunin Exams?"

Naruto smirked, remembering the Chuunin Exams. "I used a sealing jutsu. It stopped your chakra flow temporarily. I could tell that you almost broke through it. Luckily the seal was strong enough though." Gaara nodded. "It seems like a … useful jutsu. Do you think that you could teach it to me?"

Naruto was shocked. "Uh, sure. It's a fairly hard jutsu to learn though. Sealing jutsu is much different from regular ninjutsu." Gaara nodded. "I am aware of that, however if I should ever rampage like that I would like my siblings to be able to stop me." Naruto was confused. Gaara was different.

"If you don 't mind my asking, what changed at the Chuunin Exams? You had a blood lust that I don't sense in you now." Gaara smirked slightly. "You stopped me so swiftly, Naruto. I realized that I cannot rely on my power alone. I know that you too are a jinchuuriki." Naruto nodded. "Alright, I will teach you."

**Somewhere**

Sasuke approached a giant stone wall. He touched it and the stone melted away, revealing a passage. He walked down the passage and came upon a square room. It had just a table in the center with candles on either side. A figure was sitting at the table. "Ah, Sasuke. You are back from your mission. How did it go?" Sasuke walked casually forward and took a seat in one of the chairs. "It was brutal. Those bastards..." Sasuke's voice was trembling, but he took a breath to relax. "Itachi is dead. They left us no options."

The figure nodded. "I see. I am sorry, Sasuke. Itachi will be missed." The man leaned forward so that his face was in the candle light. He had iron rods through his nose and dark orange hair. His eyes were purple and had several circles within them. "Were you able to gather any Intel on Danzo?" Sasuke nodded. "His motive appears to have been control of the Hidden Leaf. He craves power."

The man nodded and leaned back in his chair. "There is not much for us to do now. The Akatsuki will likely move soon. They are short a few members and have most likely tried to recruit Naruto already. They may come for you as well." Sasuke scoffed at the thought. "The Akatsuki are not worth my time, Nagato." Nagato shrugged. "Perhaps not right now, but it is important to keep an eye on them. In the meantime, there is something I want you to acquire for me."

**Hidden Sand Village**

Hinata and Shino stood inside a weapons shop browsing their selection. "What do you think of Gaara, Hinata?" Shino asked. She shrugged. "I'm not sure, but he seems to get along with Naruto pretty well." She smiled. Shino smiled too and shook his head. "You know we can't stay here much longer. We also have to find out what Naruto's new eyes do. Not knowing could be a problem if he uses them at the wrong time." Hinata nodded and they left after purchasing a few essential tools.

"What do you think Naruto's eyes can do?" Hinata asked. Shino shook his head. "I'm not sure, but based on what I've seen so far, they don't mix with his chakra very well." Hinata nodded. "When I looked at him through my Byakugan earlier, it was like there was an entirely different chakra surrounding his eyes." They walked a few more blocks without saying anything. "Either way, once Naruto is healed we will need to decide what we are going to do. We cannot just leave Danzo to run the Hidden Leaf." Hinata frowned and nodded in agreement.

They arrived at the hospital and Naruto was standing outside, smiling. "It's about time you guys show up." Hinata smiled back and ran to greet him. "Are you healed properly now?" She moved to grab his arm but stopped awkwardly. _No touching, Hinata. It is going to be hard enough for him to go back to being just friends.*_ She withdrew her arm and smiled awkwardly. Naruto frowned but then turned to Shino. "How do you feel Naruto?"

Naruto stretched and flexed his muscles. "Much better now. I think my chakra is back to normal." Shino nodded. "What do we do now? What were your plans Naruto?" Naruto turned serious as he remembered Itachi's words. "We have to travel to Adomai. Itachi-sensei said that someone there could help me get stronger."

They heard footsteps approaching and turned towards them. "Did you say Adomai village?" It was an older lady. She had light purple hair and was very short. "Why, I haven't heard that name in ages." Naruto was confused. Shino started, "I'm sorry, we must have been talking loudly." The woman waved a hand in response. "Nonsense, I just have good hearing. Bahahaha." She laughed which caught the three of them off-guard.

Naruto scratched his head and smiled. "Now then, Adomai village has been having problems lately. I'm afraid getting there is impossible." Naruto frowned. "What kind of trouble?" Hinata asked. The woman motioned them to follow her and they did. "For about a year now, there has been a civil war in Adomai village. Not many people know what started it, but after the first three months, a barrier jutsu was erected by some of the people in the village. Apparently the war is over forbidden jutsu."

Shino sighed. "That doesn't surprise me. Several wars have been started over jutsu." The elderly lady nodded. "Indeed, so until their fighting has stopped, we can assume that the barrier will not fall." Naruto frowned. "What do we do until then?" The woman smiled. "Gaara told me about you three. It is true that once an alliance has been achieved with the Hidden Leaf, we will not be able to keep you safe. However..." She stopped in her tracks.

They all waited for a minute to see if she would finish her sentence. "Umm, granny?" Naruto walked up to poke her. "Bahaha!" The three of them jumped back in shock. "Oh I was just playing possum deary. Now then where was I?" Naruto looked annoyed at being scared so easily. "Ah yes, if you could help the village with some tasks, we might be able to make a case for you to stay here."

Hinata smiled. "That would be great!" Naruto and Shino nodded too. "Good, just head on over to the mission dispatch in the center of town and pick out a few." Naruto smiled. "Thank you granny, uh..."

"Chiyo, you may call me Granny Chiyo." She smiled and walked off into the town. The three of them looked at each other, still wondering what had just happened. "I guess we have to kill some time." Shino smirked as they walked towards the center of town. Naruto shook his head. "It looks like we have no choice." Hinata giggled. "That's the spirit Naruto."

**Thanks for reading guys. I know this chapter took way too long to get out but hopefully you enjoyed!**


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